NND delivers spectacular performances Published July 18, 2009 By Senior Airman Wesley Wright Minot Air Force Base Public Affairs MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- Thousands of people turned out to watch the 2009 Northern Neighbors Day here July 18, which came through on its promise to wow spectators with amazing aerial maneuvers, nail-biting choreography, historic displays and much more. "Beautiful weather" and "wow, did you see that" were the oft-mentioned phrases of the day, as the air show was set against clear, sunny skies and warm temperatures. The U.S. Army Golden Knights parachute team kicked off the action-packed day during a flag ceremony, which featured two teams of two soldiers descending tightly together while trailing the American and Canadian flags, respectively, as both national anthems were sung. From military working dogs, to a force-on-force security forces demonstration, to a weapons load of a B-52H Stratofortress, to death-defying maneuvers by John Mohr and Kent and Warren Pietsch, military and civilian performers kept the crowd entertained. The Golden Knights performed a second formation jump, which included their full show of precision parachuting designed to showcase the talent that sets them apart as the Department of Defense's most elite parachute specialists. One of Minot's own B-52s stole the show early after a "Klaxton alarm" scrambled a B-52 crew to their aircraft. The crew sprinted to the aircraft, and manually "cart-started" the eight engines using shotgun-like explosive charges. The BUFF was off the ground in minutes and soon came soaring back over the crowd at a low altitude. "The B-52 in particular was amazing," said Carol Fender, mother of Airman 1st Class Brady Fender, 5th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. "Seeing it up close like this is impressive." Her husband, Tom, concurred. "It gives you a great appreciation for the Air Force and the Armed Forces," Tom Fender said. Minot's senior leaders were impressed with the performances pleased everything went off so well. "The air show went fabulously," said Col. Julian Tolbert, 5th Bomb Wing vice commander. "We had beautiful weather, lots of visiting planes, static displays and outstanding flying. Both military and civilian performers are top-notch aviators and take their craft to an extent that is very impressive." The 91st Missile Wing commander noted that the event was a way of giving back to the community. "What an awesome air show," said Col Chris Ayres. "This open house is our way of giving back to Minot and the surrounding communities who have supported us so incredibly over the years. To be able to pull this off in the beautiful weather today and have all these current and vintage aircraft support it is amazing. It's a way to say thank you." The talent level of the performers was a hot topic at the Air show as friends and family enjoyed the afternoon. "I enjoyed it immensely," Said Senior Airman Dennis Douglas, 5th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron weapons loader. "It's very obvious to see the pride and dedication these guys put into their work. All the performances were impressive, but I thought the load competition stole the show. It was great." An F-16 Fighting Falcon from the Air Force's elite Viper West Coast Demonstration team put an exclamation point on the fun-filled day, roaring in over the crowd at a high speed performing numerous twists, turns and rolls that brought the crowd to its feet. As the show came to a close and people began to make their way to the exits, Minot AFB's leadership began congratulating the Airmen and civilian performers on a job well done. The "Warriors on the Prairie"-themed 2009 NND was a "huge success" and Minot was proud of it.